But Salt Lake City's globe-trotting mayor has stayed home more since announcing a year ago he would not seek a third term.

As a lame duck in 2007, Anderson has traveled roughly half the amount as the same six-month period a year earlier.

The activist mayor was outside Utah 99 days last year - much of it for environmental conferences and one anti-Bush rally - and has bolted the Beehive State 39 days so far this year, according to Anderson's schedule, obtained through an open-records request.

And, in the two months preceding his July 2006 announcement to bow out of his beloved office, Anderson spent 32 days in seven cities from Northern Europe to Racine, Wis., in America's heartland.

The mayor has taken some jabs for his trips. In his verbal slugfest with Anderson earlier this year, conservative talk-show host Sean Hannity repeatedly tattooed his liberal foe as a "part-time mayor and full-time protester."

But, as always, Anderson defends his national and international itinerary - arguing that the jaunts are not junkets and help enhance the city's reputation. And, he insists, his flights do not hamper his ability to manage the city because "I am constantly tied to my BlackBerry."

"My decision to travel is based on what's going on here and how important it is that I participate," the mayor explains. "My preference would be to stay at home most of the time."

Indeed, Anderson was invited to an impeach-Bush event in Los Angeles recently, but declined. He has been featured at four other pro-impeachment rallies outside Utah this year.

Crisscrossing the country - and jetting abroad - has helped catapult the city's reputation, Anderson says, especially for tourism and conventions.

"People say they never thought of traveling to Utah, but now they're going to come visit," Anderson boasts. "Most people want me to stay on as mayor because they see what a difference it's made with other municipalities joining in the climate-protection campaign."

But, despite his tease dangled a month ago, Anderson is not running.

And now, as the race to replace him roils, the major candidates say they would log fewer frequent-flier miles and more hours at City Hall.

"I would have a laserlike focus here," vows House Minority Leader Ralph Becker. "I see so many areas that need immediate attention."

Chief among them, the mayoral hopeful says, are transportation, trails, air quality, public education and fixing downtown. Another candidate, Dave Buhler, a city councilman and Anderson critic, echoes the thought.

"I would be very different," he says. "Salt Lake City needs a full-time mayor."

Buhler sees a "long list" of problem spots, but points specifically to a need to streamline the city's permit process for home remodels.

Former City Councilman Keith Christensen, Anderson's anointed heir, says he would travel on the city's behalf only for "reasonable purposes."

"I don't travel unless it's necessary," he insists. "It's difficult and it's taxing."

At the same time, Christensen defended the mayor, noting Anderson almost always works weekends. "When Rocky's in Salt Lake City, he's in the office," Christensen says. "He's a very hard-working mayor."

The presumed front-runner, Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, argues a handful of trips are "probably germane." But, if elected, she would be willing to stretch the schedule beyond the obligatory huddles for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

"The outside focus of a mayor and some cooperative alliances is very much to the benefit of the city," she says. "I would want to continue some of that. I would probably, once a year or so, take on an issue I care about and attend as a conference participant - or just go and learn."

The bulk of Anderson's treks are climate-change conferences, global-warming retreats and sustainability summits. He has spoken, or received awards, on both coasts for such events. The mayor also has flown to Sweden - twice - for Rotary International and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. And he attended the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.

But taxpayers rarely pick up the tab. Anderson notes sponsors almost always pay for the trips. And the exceptions, in the form of the mayor's expenses, are posted on the city's Web site.

"Very, very little is paid by the city," he says.

What's more, Anderson's schedule reveals a heavy dose of meetings with staff members, Cabinet meetings and speaking events. It also lists a steady stream of meetings with city stakeholders - almost always at locally owned restaurants. And he appears at other engagements - such as the funeral of Destiny Norton and the capital visit by then-Mexican President Vicente Fox.

Even so, opinion has been split on the subject of Anderson's excursions. Some see him as ambassador, others as absentee.

Edie Trimmer, a former Poplar Grove Community Council member, says the mayor's global focus prevents him from tackling certain city affairs.

"He's not engaged in some issues I care about on the west side," she says. "I just would like to see more concern on creating spots that help our neighborhood create wealth in our property."

Trimmer laments the garbage near west-side highways, neglect of nuisance weeds and trees and the city's refusal to develop intersections such as 900 West and 400 South.

But blaming the mayor - or his travel - is overblown, insists Penny Archibald-Stone, a member of the East Central Community Council, who focuses on crime watch.

"Rocky has put our city on the map," she says. "Although he may be prickly to work for . . . he puts in long, long hours. I personally don't think his quick trips here or there are interfering with city business. I like what he is doing."

Besides, Anderson says, "when I travel, it's not usually fun or even all that interesting. . . . It's extremely hard work."

Anderson's only listed vacation the past 18 months was to Europe for 11 days, which are included in the 99-day 2006 tally. And many trips outside Utah included weekends.

Still, Anderson's decision against chasing re-election came after a five-week stint during which he was on the road for 30 days. Any correlation?

Just coincidence, the mayor says.

"I don't think Mayor Anderson has ever seen his duties as the mayor ever confining himself to Salt Lake City," says Kelly Patterson, director of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "He has seen the job more broadly."

As such, he has been abroad, or on the road, perhaps more than any Salt Lake City mayor.

And it will continue. On Friday Anderson departs to be spotlighted at an event sponsored by The Nation magazine. The venue: a cruise ship off the coast of Canada and Alaska.

djensen@sltrib.com